Goree, Texas

Goree, Texas
City
Location of Goree, Texas
Coordinates: 33°28′7″N99°31′26″W / 33.46861°N 99.52389°W / 33.46861; -99.52389
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Knox
Area [1]
• Total	1.45 sq mi (3.75 km2)
• Land	1.45 sq mi (3.75 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,453 ft (443 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	203
• Estimate  (2019) [2]	203
• Density	140.00/sq mi (54.06/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76363
Area code	940
FIPS code	48-30296 [3]
GNIS feature ID	1358194 [4]

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	614		—
1930	457		−25.6%
1940	425		−7.0%
1950	640		50.6%
1960	543		−15.2%
1970	538		−0.9%
1980	524		−2.6%
1990	412		−21.4%
2000	321		−22.1%
2010	203		−36.8%
2019 (est.)	203	[2]	0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]

Goree is a city in Knox County, Texas, United States. The population was 203 at the 2010 census, down from 321 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2013 U.S. Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 207. ^[6]

Geography

Goree is located at 33°28′7″N99°31′26″W / 33.46861°N 99.52389°W / 33.46861; -99.52389 (33.468707, –99.523874). ^[7] It is situated at the junction of U.S. Highway 277 and FM 266 in southeastern Knox County, approximately 84 miles north of Abilene. ^[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), all land.

History

Settlers first arrived in the area around 1886. By 1887, a settlement was centered around a store and post office built by Bill Benedict. Originally known as Riley Springs, the community was renamed Goree after Robert D. Goree, a Confederate veteran and Knox County pioneer. Benedict's store was bought by J.W. McLendon in 1890 and moved it with its post office to a new site that became known as North Goree. A school was built near the relocated store in 1901. In 1904, North Goree was renamed Hefner. ^[9]

At its president-day location, the first plans for a new community began in 1905 with the announcement that the Wichita Valley Railroad would be built through the area. ^[10] 1906 was an important year in Goree's history as the railroad arrived, homes and businesses were erected, and the community became an incorporated municipality. ^[11] The school relocated from the Hefner location to Goree in 1906 as well and was renamed Chigger Hill School.

Goree had a population of 614 in 1920, but that figure had fallen to 425 by 1940. The number of residents rose to 640 in 1950, but declined throughout the remainder of the twentieth century. ^[9]

Demographics

2020 census

Goree racial composition ^[12]
(NH = Non-Hispanic) ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	85	53.8%
Black or African American (NH)	9	5.7%
Asian (NH)	1	0.63%
Some Other Race (NH)	2	1.27%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	6	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino	55	34.81%
Total	158

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 158 people, 103 households, and 83 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, there were 321 people, 116 households, and 88 families residing in the city. The population density was 220.7 inhabitants per square mile (85.2/km²). There were 157 housing units at an average density of 107.9 per square mile (41.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.37% White, 8.10% African American, 3.74% Native American, 25.23% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 43.30% of the population.

There were 116 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.2% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,104, and the median income for a family was $25,556. Males had a median income of $19,063 versus $20,536 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,169. About 24.4% of families and 31.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 59.8% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Munday Consolidated Independent School District operates public schools serving the community. The City of Goree was served by the Goree Independent School District until July 1, 2003, when it merged with the Munday Independent School District, forming the Munday CISD. ^[15]

The school in Goree was used as the Munday Junior High, serving the district's seventh and eighth grade students until about 2009. It is now used as the Knox Prairie event center which hosts the Knox Prairie Quilt Show every February.^{[ citation needed ]}

Bobby Boatright Memorial Music Camp

Goree is the site of the annual Bobby Boatright Memorial Music Camp, an event for aspiring Western Swing musicians of all ages to hone and showcase their musical talents. The camp is named for the late Bobby Boatright, Western Swing musician, who was chief fiddle instructor before his death in 2008. ^[16] The camp was profiled in a story that aired on July 21, 2010 on National Public Radio's Morning Edition program. ^[17]

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
6. "Table 4: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Texas, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. July 1, 2009. Archived from the original (CSV) on March 27, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
8. "Goree, Texas". Texas Escapes Online Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
9. "Goree, Texas". The Handbook of Texas online. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
10. "History of Goree, Part I". John H. Bates (1964). December 14, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
11. "History of Goree, Part 9 (Goree Township)". John H. Bates (1964). June 19, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
12. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
13. https://www.census.gov/ ^{[ not specific enough to verify ]}
14. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
15. "CONSOLIDATIONS, ANNEXATIONS AND NAME CHANGES FOR TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS" (PDF). Texas Education Agency. September 10, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
16. "Bobby Lynn Boatright Obituary (2008) the Herald Democrat". Legacy.com .
17. Highlights, transcript, and audio links to NPR story on the Bobby Boatright Memorial Music Camp that aired 07/21/10

1. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. ^{[13] [14]}

External links

• About Goree, TX
• Website for the City of Goree